I am headed into my first Ironman season. My race is still 9 months away (IMFL) but I am, of course, starting to build my base back up after the few months of less training in the winter. During the past 4 months I've only been doing 1-2 easy swims, 1-2 easy bikes, and about 25-30 miles of running per week (speed, tempo, and long run plus one additional short, easy typically). I have also been going to an hour long Les Mills Body Pump class twice a week and hitting the abs 3 times per week.

I honestly am not sure I will be able to lift weights on a regular basis once I up my training and start my Olympic, then HIM, then IM training schedule this year. We are so swamped with kids' sports, my husband coaching, and life that this may have to be put on hold until next winter. I know it's important, but does anyone else find they can be successful without the weight training? Help! I can only do so much. I may still try to lift twice week for 20-30 minutes and keep the three 15-20 min ab sessions. Enough??

I lifted on my "off" day. I mostly did upper body but I did some leg work and ab/core stuff. It's just too hard to lift when you're seriously into training. I just didn't want my upper body to turn to crap. Not like I look like the hulk but I worked my butt off in HS to get past the 140 pound scrawny look and would like to get it that way. Weight, and unfortunately muscle, came flying off once I hit 15+ hours/week so I was just trying to minimize the loss until the tamper and post race.

I lifted on my "off" day. I mostly did upper body but I did some leg work and ab/core stuff. It's just too hard to lift when you're seriously into training. I just didn't want my upper body to turn to crap. Not like I look like the hulk but I worked my butt off in HS to get past the 140 pound scrawny look and would like to get it that way. Weight, and unfortunately muscle, came flying off once I hit 15+ hours/week so I was just trying to minimize the loss until the tamper and post race.

I can only hope the weight goes flying off me at 15 plus hours per week. I am not hopeful. ) I have a terrible time losing weight. I need to lose 5 pounds between now and when I start my serious HIM training. We will see! Thanks for this. At least I know I am normal with lacking the time. I can't train my entire life away.

The only time I could squeeze in weight training during IM training was early on when I was doing treadmill running due to the cold/ice. Just 20 minutes or so after stretching after a run. Once in the bulk of it, sadly I just couldn't do it and keep up with the rest of my life. I would still do 2 10-20 minute core sessions each week and stretch whenever I had a spare moment. Coworkers always give me funny looks when stretching at the water cooler...

If you're going to lift, then do it now before the training ramps up. You want training to be more specific to the race as you get closer in to them. And the lifting done now should more to compliment s/b/r training, not replace sessions. So things that don't get worked as much (or at all) by s/b/r.

Yes: weight train. Lighter weights with minimum 30-50 reps in a circuit. Easy to do in the gym after a swim. Leg extensions, leg curls, leg presses, chest press, should press, lat pulldowns, straight arm pulldowns. Spend non less than 20 minutes (about 1 or 2 circuits) and no more than 40 minutes (3 or 4 circuits). Perform once per week at a minimum, no more than 3 times per week.

These provide great benefit, just won't make you any faster. They protect you from injury, help you recover from long workouts by impinging blood to those areas and marginally build up strength. Its also fun and relaxing.

Life is about balance. IM takes you to the edge of stamina and the borderline of repetitive use injuries. Weight training is a great balance to that.

Originally posted by FranzZemen Yes: weight train. Lighter weights with minimum 30-50 reps in a circuit. Easy to do in the gym after a swim. Leg extensions, leg curls, leg presses, chest press, should press, lat pulldowns, straight arm pulldowns. Spend non less than 20 minutes (about 1 or 2 circuits) and no more than 40 minutes (3 or 4 circuits). Perform once per week at a minimum, no more than 3 times per week. These provide great benefit, just won't make you any faster. They protect you from injury, help you recover from long workouts by impinging blood to those areas and marginally build up strength. Its also fun and relaxing. Life is about balance. IM takes you to the edge of stamina and the borderline of repetitive use injuries. Weight training is a great balance to that.

Weight training does not generally help protect you from repetitive use injury. Nor will it help your recovery. It might be fun and relaxing for you. However, if you are inclined to weight train in order to get some potential tri benefits, then you should probably lift for strength (ie, not lighter weights and high rep sets).

Originally posted by FranzZemen Yes: weight train. Lighter weights with minimum 30-50 reps in a circuit. Easy to do in the gym after a swim. Leg extensions, leg curls, leg presses, chest press, should press, lat pulldowns, straight arm pulldowns. Spend non less than 20 minutes (about 1 or 2 circuits) and no more than 40 minutes (3 or 4 circuits). Perform once per week at a minimum, no more than 3 times per week. These provide great benefit, just won't make you any faster. They protect you from injury, help you recover from long workouts by impinging blood to those areas and marginally build up strength. Its also fun and relaxing. Life is about balance. IM takes you to the edge of stamina and the borderline of repetitive use injuries. Weight training is a great balance to that.

Weight training does not generally help protect you from repetitive use injury. Nor will it help your recovery. It might be fun and relaxing for you. However, if you are inclined to weight train in order to get some potential tri benefits, then you should probably lift for strength (ie, not lighter weights and high rep sets).

Strongly and respectfully disagree. But its okay, even the weightlifting world is historically split on sets, reps, cycles and so on.

Please don't go lifting heavy weights in the 6-12 rep range, especially if you can't sustain it 3 times per week minimum over a long period of time. You put yourself at risk for injury and you'll be building mass (if you do it often enough). You'll build strength with good resistance (hey it has to burn)at higher reps. And yes, you will strengthen your tendons, stabilizer muscles and other areas that will help avoid overuse injuries. (Of course, if you're already on the edge, it could actually cause overuse injuries if you jump in too fast). Strength training is not a substitute for proper form in the three tri disciplines, a source of overuse injuries, though.

Strongly and respectfully disagree. But its okay, even the weightlifting world is historically split on sets, reps, cycles and so on.

Please don't go lifting heavy weights in the 6-12 rep range, especially if you can't sustain it 3 times per week minimum over a long period of time. You put yourself at risk for injury and you'll be building mass (if you do it often enough). You'll build strength with good resistance (hey it has to burn)at higher reps. And yes, you will strengthen your tendons, stabilizer muscles and other areas that will help avoid overuse injuries. (Of course, if you're already on the edge, it could actually cause overuse injuries if you jump in too fast). Strength training is not a substitute for proper form in the three tri disciplines, a source of overuse injuries, though.

Interestingly, the research on improvements in endurance sport and strength training supports high weight low rep much more so than low weight high rep.